SPEEDWEEK 2011
Some of you who might have regularly followed the McMeekin Brothers & Grimes Racing Team might be wondering WHAT IS GOING ON???? Here’s the deal … for the last four days we have “thrashing” on the salt. Quick summary:
Don & Jane were joined by long time crewmembers, Kenny & Marilyn Grimes, and rookies, Bill & Sue Martin. Yahoo!
SATURDAY
Arrival and inspection. Lots of work and fun seeing salt friends and getting the pits set up. Dave Heigle and Tom Moore came in on Sat. evening to spend Sunday with us. Unfortunately they didn't see much from the McMeekin/Grimes Team that day!
SUNDAY
Marilyn drove, but had trouble with the shifter & trouble with heat. Both unavoidable. The shifter wasn't working too well & it was very, very warm. We had her suited up in the big orange fire suit for at least 45 minutes. Whew!
Jane also drove on Sun. but turned out after two miles because she couldn’t get it into 3rd gear!! The team headed back to the hotel on Sunday evening and saw a wonderful film called “The Boys of Bonneville,” which focused on the life of Ab Jenkins, famous salt flats racer. Excellent film. Ask us about it.
MONDAY
Headed out to the salt early on Monday morning so that Don could take a test run. Don drove hoping that the issues yesterday had been driver error on the shifting problem, and found that even HE couldn’t get it into 3rd gear. In spite of that, he was able to exceed the previous record, which was EXTREMELY soft (107 mph). So we were able to go to IMPOUND. Don
TUESDAY
Tuesday morning out early to the salt for the RECORD RETURN RUN. We just love watching the sun come up over the salt. Don backed up his run from yesterday with a 148mph today!!! Another record for the McMeekin/Grimes Team.
But … Don was still not happy with the shifting and felt like he still wasn’t getting everything he could out of the engine. So Don and Crew Chief, Kenny, decided to change from the fuel injection system to the carburetor that we brought along. Thank goodness, Bill Martin, master carpenter and mechanic, and Steve Robey, carb guy, along since we had to cut a hole in the hood for the carb and then try to stop all the leaks!
Went out to the line for another test run by Don. NOT GOOD! Could not get the speed up above 113! Racing brings lots of challenges. Not the least of which is finding why an engine that you so carefully built isn’t doing what is expected. The crew did a little diagnostic work before leaving the salt. We will see how it goes on Wednesday.
posted by Jane and Don McMeekin @ 8:46 AM
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